Curtain stretcher



MalCh 7, J. F. I ,lZAK i l v CURTAIN sTRETcHER Filed sept. 9; 1937Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to stretchers for supporting and holding curtainsand the like in a taut condition while drying.

One object of my invention is to provide a stretcher having improvedmeans for detachably holding the curtains in place and which are readily.adjustable on the stretcher frame.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means forconnecting and supporting the members of the stretcher frame.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanyingdrawing wherein Figure 1 is a face view of a stretcher, with one of thejoint connections shown in section; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig.3 is a rear view, on an enlarged scale, showing one of the connectingclamps for the frame; Fig. 4 is an enlarged View taken on the line IV-IVof Fig. 1;` Fig. 5 is an enlarged view taken on the line V-V of Fig. 1;Fig. 6 is a face view, on an enlarged scale, of one of thecurtain-gripping or clamping elements of Fig. 1; Fig. 7 is a side viewthereof showing the same in curtain-gripping position, and Fig. 8 is aview showing it in released position.

The frame comprises upper longitudinal or edge bars I; lowerlongitudinal bars II; end bars I2 and I3; legs I4, and a. spreader barI5.

For smaller curtains, one of the bars I0 and one of the bars I I may beomitted, but ordinarily a pair of bars I0 and a pair of bars II will beemployed. The adjacent ends of such respective pairs of bars areconnected by a pair of dowel pins I6 which have snug-driven t with oneof the bars and are insertable into holes in the other bar. The Spreaderbar I has a pair of projecting dowel pins I1 at its upper end, whichenter holes in the bars I0 and serve to hold said bars snugly inend-to-end relation. The bar I5 is provided with .alongitudinally-extending slot I8 n through which extends a bolt I9 thatcarries a block 2D and a wing nut 2|. The nut 2| is utilized to firmlyhold the block in desired set positions on the bar I5, and the block 20is provided with a pair of dowel pins 2Ia which enter holes in the barsI I to hold the ends of such bars in abutting relation. The member I5serves to hold the bars I0 and I I .apart in parallelism against thetension of a stretched curtain.

The end bar I3 is connected at its upper end to one of the bars I0, bymeans of a clamping plate 23 whose upper end is flanged to overlie theupper edge of the bar I0, and which is provided with a pair of slotsthrough which guide screws 24 and 25 extend, the screws being driveninto the bar I3. A lever 26 has a. camming disc portion 21 formedthereon and rotatably supported by the screws 25. Lugs 28 and 29 arestruckup from the plate 23 in position to be engaged by the edge of thecamming disc 21. It will be seen that when the lever 26 is oscillated itwill eiect 5 movement of the plate 23 into and out of clampingengagement with the bar I0. The bar I3 is connected in a similar mannerto one of the bars II, the clamp at that point being actuated by a lever30 which corresponds to the lever 26, and 10 another similar clampingconnection is provided between the bar I2 and the other bar I0, thelastnamed clamp being operated by a lever 3l.

Connection between the bar I2 and one of the bars I I is eiiected by aclamp 32 which, as shown 15 more clearly in Fig. 4, has a portion 33extending beneath and to the outer side of the bar II, and arearwardly-extending portion 34 which is extended at 35 to the rear sideof the bar I2. A thumb screw 36 is carried by the element 33 for 20holding the bars II and I2 in clamped engagement. It will be seen thatthe clamp 32 can be placed in position readily at any point, withoutsliding it from the extreme end of one of the bars Il, since a simplehorizontal movement will bring the parts 34 and 35 into embracingengagement with the bar I2, and a simple vertical movement will bringthe part 33 into embracing engagement with the bar II.

The clamping elements are preferably of metal, and the frame barspreferably formed of wood.

The bars I0, II, I2 and I3 have longitudinallyextending grooves whosewalls are undercut, or which are of somewhat more than 180 in curvature,for the reception of curtain-gripping elements 31, which may be made ofeither wood or metal, but preferably formed of wood. Each element 31 hasa partially cylindrical portion 38 that is slidable in the groove andcan oscillate or tilt therein. A lever 39 is pivotally connected to 40the member 31 and has a camming surface formed on its inner end so thatwhen said lever is turned from the position shown in Fig. 8 to theposition shown in Fig. '1, the linger-like extensions 40 of the grippingdevice will be brought 45 into engagement with an edge of a curtain.

The gripping members 31 can be cheaply made by shaping a long wooden barso that in cross section it will correspond to the contour of themembers 31 as viewed in Figs. '7 and 8. There- 50 after the bar can bemoved transversely against gang saws to form slots for the reception ofthe levers 39. The bar can then be moved against other gang saws whichwill divide it transversely into a plurality of elements 31, after whichthe levers 39 can be inserted and pivot pins or nails 4| driven intoplace to connect the levers to the gripping elements.

I claim as my invention:

1. A curtain stretcher comprising frame bars held in assembled relationand provided with undercut grooves extending longitudinally thereof,gripping elements having enlarged projections extending into saidvgrooves and slidable longitudinally thereof, and camming devicesoperable to rock the said gripping devices into position to grip andhold the curtain against the said bars.

2. A curtain stretcher comprising frame barsl Y i held in assembledrelation and provided with undercut grooves extending longitudinallythereof, gripping elements having enlarged projections extending intosaid grooves and slidable longitudinally thereof, curtain-grippingextensions on said elements, other extensions formed thereon andprojecting oppositely to the first-named extensions, and camming leverspositioned in the second-named extensions for engagement with theadjacent faces of the side bars whereby upon operation of the levers thegripping elements will be rocked to cause the first-named extensions togrip and hold a curtain against the said bars.

JOHN F. LIZAK.

